


The Descent From the Top of the World

by Minadelli



Series: To The Stars [1]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M, Prologue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21596992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minadelli/pseuds/Minadelli
Summary: Hello :)Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who celebrates.Both mochiflowers and darknessonice really inspired me to start writing this, so thank you to the both of them. I've already written a bit for this story and I do hope to upload a new chapter at least once a month. Of course, it does depend on how much more I can/want to write/edit in between and my school schedule since I'm also a student.To The Stars Through Difficulties - I originally found the phrase on social media in Latin. It felt fitting but I felt a little strange using Latin when I don't know it and didn't do any other research about it. The original is "Ad Astra Per Aspera"A side-note: Yuzu did throw balloons for Zhenya at World Team Trophy in 2017. I'm pretty sure I first saw the post on Twitter, which was linked to a Tumblr page. I can't find the tweet so here's the Tumblr post instead.https://black-halla.tumblr.com/post/173736737337/friendly-reminderI think I might post the first chapter of the next part today; we'll see. I think I want to get that started, since I know if I don't I'll probably chicken out entirely lol. Anyway, thanks for making it all the way here :)
Relationships: Yuzuru Hanyu/Evgenia Medvedeva
Series: To The Stars [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1556497
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	The Descent From the Top of the World

_2017 World Team Trophy_

I was supposed to be on top of the world. I had just set three world records in a single competition. Short program, free program and total score. The gala was over and I was supposed to be enjoying the time with my friends who I didn’t get to see often. Even with my mistake on the jumps, Yuzu was there to make me feel better with his silly jokes and got me to play around with him and Shoma. I did enjoy my time here. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t.

Maybe it was the pain in my back. It wouldn’t go away. It was slight, but still annoying to deal with. Or the strange feeling in my foot. I don’t know.

I silently walked down the empty halls hidden in the building, looking for a bathroom to clear my mind when something, no someone, grabbed my arm from behind a black curtain and pulled me into the room, a locker room.

“Wha…” I heard myself begin to say before I looked up to see the person who brought me here. “Yuzu…”

“Hello, Medvedeva,” he said quickly before we shared a brief hug. “Eto- I wanted to congratulate you on your records.”

I could hear some disappointment lingering in his voice even though his team had just won the competition. _His programs,_ I remembered, _they weren’t exactly up to his standards._

“Even with world records, I still can’t beat you.” I smiled, trying to joke and lighten the mood. But his eyes moved back and forth in deep thought.

“Did you see the balloons?” he said quietly.

“I did. I really do appreciate them.”

“There wasn’t anything else on them?” he questioned.

“Was there?” I didn’t want to make him feel worse than he already felt. “I’m sorry but I guess in all the excitement I didn’t notice anything.”

“It’s not a big deal. Just a small note,” he whispered as his eyes started to glisten.

“What did it say?” He kept looking down at the ground and I tried to see what was going on in his brown eyes. They could tell me anything about him. Maybe that was why he tried to avoid showing them to me.

“It said…” he wandered off in thought, his lips still moving rapidly. I didn’t think I should continue on the topic.

“Anyway,” I continued. “I was going to find a bathroom and…”

He looked at my face with a gentle expression. I looked into his eyes to try and envision his thoughts but his eyes were so clouded. I couldn’t a remember a time they were ever like that before. “Yuzu? What are you doing?”

He took a small breath before he silently walked through the curtain. _What just happened?_ I stared at the curtain, flabbergasted.

He didn’t talk to me for the rest of the event. Not even a glance. But whenever I glanced him he was shifting awkwardly, his head low. I was supposed to be on top of the world but instead, I was overwhelmed, my stomach sick and queasy. _What had he done?_

*****************

_2018 Olympic Gala Practice_

I stood awkwardly next to the edge of the rink as other skaters gathered together to talk. I wasn’t in the mood to talk. I wanted to go back to my room and scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to be anywhere but there. A few months before, many believed I was destined to win the coveted Olympic gold medal. Then injury struck. I fell. I was no longer at the top. I was replaced by those who were supposed to care about me when I needed help.

Alina worked hard. I could never say she didn’t deserve it. A part of me was happy for her. But the majority was angry at myself. I let possibly my one chance slip away. If only one little thing had been different. If only I hadn’t injured my back. If only I hadn’t injured my ankle. If only, if only.

I would need a change. A change to continue to skate. A change to continue to live.

“Earth to Zhenya,” a voice teased.

I turned around to see Yuzu smiling down at me. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t notice.”

“Is something on your mind?”

“Many things actually.”

“If you want to talk about it, I’m here.” His voice was suddenly serious.

“Thanks.”

“But I think I know. Zhenya, you did all you could. You poured your heart out onto the ice. If anybody can come back from this, I know it’s you. You’re so determined, stubborn and hardworking.”

“We both know what the field is in Russian ladies’ skating.”

I started to skate ahead of him. I saw him in the corner of my eye lifting his arms to form a heart around his head, causing his fans to cheer and me to smile, just a little bit.

“We both know what injuries are in the mens’ field.”

“Then if you fall again, I’ll run in like Tuxedo Mask,” I giggled.

“I personally think you’re more of a Sailor Moon, saving everyone.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You saved me.”

I shook my head, still confused. “I don’t understand.”

“My ankle. I would’ve trained instead anyway without you. I would be beating myself up over what happened.”

“You could’ve done better. If you did it this way instead of that way then this wouldn’t have happened. What ifs.” Too bad I couldn’t save myself too.

“Seems to be something which plagues us both then, Medvedeva.” The way he said my name made my lips curve into a slight smile. “One day I’ll walk in as Tuxedo Mask.” He drifted ahead and I smiled.

“I’ll hold you to it, Hanyu.”

“And I’ll grab your hand like this.”

He waited for me to catch up to him and tried to hold my hand but it was firmly pressed against my leg. Did he really just try and hold my hand? I couldn’t help myself from smiling.

“How embarrassing,” I giggled.

He went ahead again, laughing his head off as his eyes disappeared into his smile. “Very. I was supposed to grab your hand and lead you back into battle. There’s always next time, I guess.”

Next time? I felt giddy hearing him say that before I scolded myself.

“Maybe next time I should be Kaneki then.”

“You dare eat Tuxedo Mask?” he smiled.

“Maybe,” I playfully shrugged.

“Sounds like a dream come true.”

“Ah yes. You told Kaneki to please eat you,” I laughed. “You’d gladly sacrifice Tuxedo Mask to be eaten by Kaneki.”

“Maybe that’s not what I meant exactly, Medvedeva.”

I stopped at the exit to take off my vest. It was getting hot. It wasn’t just me, right?

“Can we get a photo of you two?” a photographer asked.

I looked over to Yuzu who, to my surprise, was nodding. We skated in front of the group of photographers and Yuzu wrapped his arm around me, making me shiver slightly. A couple of flashes went off and soon Yuzu was on his knee next to me, holding his hand up to me.

“My Princess Serenity,” he said. I took his hand and pretended I was a princess. It was a dream. I could pretend the past few days hadn't happened, just for a moment. He held my hand for a few seconds, making my own tingle, before we skated off.

“Next time?” he smiled.

I nodded. “Next time.”

*****************

_2018 Fantasy on Ice_

I hadn’t seen Yuzu since my coaching change was announced. He supported me and sent a text message to me, but we hadn’t seen each other in person since the Olympics. I looked around the Fantasy on Ice rink. He still hadn’t shown up. I sighed. I wasn’t doubting my decision to move to Canada. But after all the backlash I had received, I had become fed up with the internet. It was expected, of course, but I didn’t expect such a reaction from names I had seen supporting me before which came to shock me. Maybe I was just looking for a little support from a familiar name, a familiar face. Just a bit of reassurance

I finally spotted him on the other side of the rink. How had I not seen him before? It didn’t look like he just got there. Was he avoiding me? I skated towards him. I didn’t realize how much I missed talking to him until then, when I craved a conversation with him.

“Hey, Yuzu,” I smiled.

“Oh, hey,” he said, coldly, making my smile falter.

“Do you need to talk?”

He nodded. “Maybe it would be best if you left me alone.”

I bit my lip. “Okay.”

I skated over to Misha. “Hey, Zhenya.”

“Is something up with Yuzu?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“He asked me to leave him alone.”

“He was super happy earlier. I wonder what happened.”

“Oh, okay.”

Maybe he was avoiding me. A sinking feeling appeared in my stomach. I wanted to run. Once again I wanted to be anywhere but there. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello :)  
> Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who celebrates.  
> Both mochiflowers and darknessonice really inspired me to start writing this, so thank you to the both of them. I've already written a bit for this story and I do hope to upload a new chapter at least once a month. Of course, it does depend on how much more I can/want to write/edit in between and my school schedule since I'm also a student.  
> To The Stars Through Difficulties - I originally found the phrase on social media in Latin. It felt fitting but I felt a little strange using Latin when I don't know it and didn't do any other research about it. The original is "Ad Astra Per Aspera"  
> A side-note: Yuzu did throw balloons for Zhenya at World Team Trophy in 2017. I'm pretty sure I first saw the post on Twitter, which was linked to a Tumblr page. I can't find the tweet so here's the Tumblr post instead.  
> https://black-halla.tumblr.com/post/173736737337/friendly-reminder  
> I think I might post the first chapter of the next part today; we'll see. I think I want to get that started, since I know if I don't I'll probably chicken out entirely lol. Anyway, thanks for making it all the way here :)


End file.
